Missing In Action
by dannyliux
Summary: Set during a war period, a young pilot from Unova finds himself forced to bail out over Johto. Saved by a Kirlia, he soon found out that he might have gotten more than what he expected. With Team Rocket and the Johto army eager to capture Prisoners-of-War, what will become of him? Rated M for later chapters. This is my debut, both compliments and criticisms accepted.
1. Chapter 1

**Missing In Action**

* * *

Chapter 1

The End is the Start

It seemed like a normal day at Mistralton airbase, but for me, it is not. Today, I, 15 years old Corporal Allan Johnson of the 2nd Escort Fighters Division, will be on my first combative mission. After getting ready in my flying suit, I rushed with my comrades to the mission briefing room. Before long, the whole squadron has assembled, and the Colonel started his briefing, 'Morning lads, today you will be escorting a squadron of bombers to Mahogany Town, where they will carry out attack on the military base there. Your job will be to protect them from any enemy fighters and if possible, strafe the base as well. Stay close, and good luck! Your navigation charts are already in your planes.' With that, I rushed out with the rest, and climbed into my twin-propeller heavy fighter. After doing an array of checks, I followed the squad leader to the runway, and took off after the bombers. Soon, we are on the way to Mahogany, deep in Johto.

After entering cruise flight, I started to think about my life so far. I could only remember growing up in an orphanage, and was told that I was found one day on the orphanage steps. I joined the Scouts when Unova declared independence 7 years ago when I was 8. 5 years ago, the government started secretly rearming itself, and a year after I was recruited into the Young Pilots programme, training to be a fighter pilot. I completed the whole training course last year, after which I carried out patrol flights around the airbase. Just one month ago, war was declared and now I am on my first mission. Bringing myself back from my memories, I focused on the task at hand and soon saw the Johto-Kanto coastline in the distance. As we got closer, the atmosphere started to tense up. The chatting over the radio gradually reduced, and soon there was complete silence except for the rumbling of the engines. Not long after, patches of black smoke from the flak shells started to appear. Not long after, I saw a bomber taking a direct hit, and fell away from the formation. Luckily, we did not have to put up with this for long, as we soon passed the coastline into the airspace above the forests. I check my navigation and found ourselves to be midway in-between Azalea Town and Mahogany Town. As I put down my maps, my wingman warned us of fighters approaching from 9 o'clock. The squadron leader instructed another pair to engage, and I saw the two Johto planes going down even before they could get close to our formation. We were told during training that the Pokémon Nation is not prepared for war, and have very little skilled pilots or well-trained army. Most of their pilots are young, insufficiently trained and inexperienced, and are no match for us. However, we have to watch out for the Teams, who pledged alliance to the Nation after the declaration of war. They have a well trained and experienced militia, and some skilled pilots, although in smaller numbers. The base we are attacking today in Mahogany belongs to Team Rocket, and hopefully we can weaken them through this attack.

We soon had Mahogany in sight, and started to receive a shower of flak shells. As we got closer, tracers started to fly towards us as well. I saw the other escort squadron going down to strafe the anti-air defenses, and the bombers started to release their bombs as well. I kept close to the bombers all the way until we flew past the Lake of Rage. However, just as I started to relax a little, the squadron leader informed us of 2 fighters coming from our 6 o'clock. We turned to engage, only to find ourselves facing two veteran Team Rocket pilots, who skillfully maneuvered out of our attempted head-on engagement. We soon entered a dogfight, and I put almost all the tactics and skills I learnt during training into practice. However, was happened next was something I have never expected.

Just as I was turning from one of them, I was hit by a barrage of bullets from my side. I turned to see the other fighter firing at me from my side, and felt a bullet piercing through my left arm. Wincing in pain, I tried to get the plane out of their sights with one hand, but was not quick enough. Another barrage came from behind, piercing a few holes in the canopy and setting my engine on fire. The hydraulics were also disabled, leaving me to control the plane with sheer strength. With only one hand, I could no longer maintain control of the plane, and decided to use my last resort: bail out.

Letting go of the controls, I unstrapped myself from my seat, ducked down and pressed the 'canopy emergency release' button. The canopy went off with a 'boom', and I felt the strong wind blowing against me. Checking my gears for the last time, I climbed out of the cockpit with great difficulty due to my injured arm, and jumped out into the sky.

Opening my parachute, I looked at my plane, which exploded after a few seconds. Had I stayed in there, I would have died. However, before I could start rejoicing, I turned and saw my left arm, and was shocked at the injury. The wound is bleeding profusely, and blood is dripping down my sleeve. I also discovered that the area below me is a wild forest far from civilization, with even the Lake of Rage out of sight. The trees down there also pose a serious threat for anyone trying to parachute down. Trying to calm myself, I tried to get these thoughts out of my head, but instead found myself getting dizzy. I looked down to see that I am a lot closer to the ground, and spotted a clearing nearby which I hoped will be my landing place. Trying my best to stay alert, I eventually found myself slipping into unconsciousness.

'Uh..' I suddenly found myself back into my senses. Opening my eye, I saw myself lying in the clearing I saw while going down, with a strange taste of fruits in my mouth. Struggling out of my parachute, I took out the small first aid kit from my bag and bandaged myself. After checking to see that all my equipment are intact and I sustained no further injuries, I turned around to see a Kirlia sitting on a piece of rock near me, looking at me. I took a step back in shock, and then went towards it, to see that it is carrying a few berries in its hands. Putting two and two together, I asked it, 'Did you feed me the berries?' 'Yes' was the response. After a moment of awkward silence, I said, 'Thank you for saving my life. May I know who you are?' However, the first thing it said was, 'You could understand me?' 'Yes,' I responded, puzzled, 'Isn't it normal for me to understand what you are saying?'

'Well, most people don't understand what Pokémons are saying. My name is Sarah, by the way.' She responded. Having grown up without learning much about Pokémons, unlike others my age, I knew very little about them and thought the ability to talk to them is normal.

'I am Allan, a pilot of the Unova Air Force, and I was forced to bail out when my plane got damaged, so here I am in enemy territory.' I told her, 'do you live around here?'

'Actually, it's a long story.' She hesitated, before continuing, 'To cut it short, I was kicked out of my group and teleported here.'

'Why?' I inquired, and she responded, 'Well, it was because my group was hates humans, but I have different opinions from them.'

'Just for that?' I asked.

'Yes…And I was probably going to die, until you came. I knew nothing about surviving in the wild, but I could sense that you do.' She replied.

Moving closer to her, I continued, 'Well, it is true that I was a Scout for two years.' Then, getting her hint, I said, 'you could stay with me if you want, but you'll need to help me out.'

'Of course!' She responded in joy, and raced to hug me. Taken aback, I hugged back and said, 'Now I need to prepare some vital things before sunset, so please let me go.' After being released I told her gather more berries and started to work on a shelter.

After a while, I managed to, with much difficulty, construct a simple tent with the nylon canvas from the parachute, cut off using my army knife. After that, I sew the pieces of canvas on the tent together to make it waterproof. Finishing everything, I put all my gears and the berries Sarah collected inside the tent, and saw that the sun was already setting. Taking out my notebook and pen, I wrote down the important events that happened and had a quick dinner of berries, deciding to leave the meager amount of military ration for emergency. After that, I decided to settle for the night, when I noticed Sarah standing hesitantly outside the tent.

'Aren't you going to sleep?' I asked.

'Well…Do you mind if I sleep with you? I can go elsewhere if you want.' She said, with a hint of expectancy in her tone.

'Sure, you can come in. It's late October now, it's going to be cold outside at night, so you better do.' I responded, beckoning her in with my left hand, which surprisingly felt a lot better. As I lay on the nylon sheet, I started to feel that this carefree life away from civilization might be the best one can ever have in a world of chaos and war. I took off my warm flight jacket and gave it to Sarah, who started to shiver in the coldness, and thought about building a home and settling here. I thought of big and ambitions plans in my mind while hugging an already asleep Sarah and the jacket for the warmth I needed myself, and dozed off soon. However, little did I know that the peaceful life that I lounged for is not going to last long, that the end of my career might just be the start of another eventful and unforgettable life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 2

_Ropes of the Trade_

As I slowly opened my eyes the next morning, I could still seem to hear the morning horn blowing, beckoning me to wake up. Putting down Sarah in a rush and leaping out of the tent, I discovered myself in a forest clearing and realized my situation. Just as I looked up into the sky of breaking dawn, I heard a noise behind me, and realized that throwing Sarah onto the ground has woke her up. 'Morning.' I said when she emerged from the tent, and she replied sleepily. After taking a few whiffs of the cool air, I went back into the tent, took out my canteen and had a sip of water. Then, I offered it to Sarah, who happily accepted. After refreshing ourselves, I remembered that I still have a lot more things to do. However, I decided that I should learn more about how to use Pokémons for self-defense, since I have very little spare ammunition for my pistol. Having never learnt anything about being a trainer before, I turned to Sarah for help, 'Well, you see…I said I would need you to help out, so would you teach me how to be a trainer?'

'I've only overheard people talking about it, but I guess I could tell you a little. First, you must know what moves does your Pokémons know, for example I know Confusion, Double Team, Teleport and Magical Leaf. Second, you are not officially a trainer of a Pokémon until you capture it in a Pokéball.' She replied, and I nodded, listening attentively.

After a short pause, she continued, 'Although you do not have a Pokéball to capture me, I will go with you because…Well because I promised to help you.' However, from her expression I could tell that she did not really mean that. Deciding not to inquire any further, I decided to start practicing a little first.

After beating a few Rattatas with ease, I spotted a Pidgey in the distance and decided to go after it, knowing that it would greatly supplement my diet. After sneaking up to it, I shouted, 'Sarah, use Confusion!' Just as the attack hit it, the Pidgey started to fly up. Not giving up, I followed it, and soon found it resting on another tree, looking confused. Just as I was about to tell Sarah to attack again, I suddenly heard the sound of running water. Looking into the distance, I discovered a small stream, and decided to let the Pidgey go as a reward for leading us here. Going closer to the stream, I realized that there is something beside it, which turned out to be a part of my plane. Picking it up to examine it closer, I realize that it is a small spare fuel tank, which somehow survived the drop and still holds the fuel inside. Putting it in my bag, I examined the stream to check for pollution from the plane, and found that it seems clear and clean. Filling up my canteen, I marked the path there using some red tapes, wrapping them around the trees as we trace our way back.

Getting back to base, I made a checklist on my notebook and started to keep journal entries to keep track of time and events. After that, I started on my first task: starting a fire.

**Well, that concludes chapter 2. It might not have met expectations, but I am leaving the next major event to the next few chapters, so stay tuned! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Missing In Action**

Chapter 3

Fall of the Rocket

It has been a few days since I bailed out, and life has been normal for me. I've heard through my mini-radio that Hoenn is left with only the mountain cities yet unconquered, and landing has been made in Sinnoh. The war seems to have created a divide between the regions as well, with the Johto-Kanto radio broadcasting bad things about Hoenn, Sinnoh, and of course Unova, but only praise itself and exaggerated a minor victory against a small group of paratroopers trying to infiltrate the power plant. Just as I was preparing for the night with Sarah, I heard the familiar rumbling of engines in the distance. Immediately putting down the work at hand, I climbed a tree to get a clearer view with my binoculars, and spotted another Unova bomber formation, with the escort fighters trying to fight off some Team Rocket fighters. As I watched on, they got closer to me, and eventually I saw the plane which shot me down, and recognized the planes of my wingman and squad leader. Soon, I saw the Team Rocket plane being barraged with bullets, and suddenly bursting into flames. The pilot bailed out, and upon seeing that I moved down the tree and called for Sarah, 'I'm going to meet a friend, do you want to come with me?'

'Sure, but who is he?' She replied.

'The guy who shot me down.' I told her, and readied my pistol and knife.

'So, you're going to take revenge?' She asked again, looking a bit scared.

'Hopefully no, we could do better with him helping. But anyway, better safe than sorry.' I replied, starting to walk towards the place where I thought he would land. After a short trek, we came across the pilot, struggling out of his parachute without even noticing me. After getting out, he turned, and was shocked to see himself at my gunpoint.

'What are you doing?' He reached for his pistol, which despite my threat he still took out.

'Put down that pistol and we can talk about this.' I replied, still holding him at gun-point. He promptly put it down, and then, taking out a Pokéball, and said, 'How about we decide this with a battle?'

'Sure, let's begin!' I replied, and called for Sarah. Meanwhile, he release a Koffing, and in no time we begun.

'Sarah, use confusion!' I called out, remembering the type advantage I have over him. However, before the attack could take effect, the Koffing suddenly exhaled a load of poisonous gas. Just after that, the confusion hit, and it fainted, dropping onto the ground. Among the smog, I could see the pilot withdrawing it back, and taking out his pistol. Lying on the ground to avoid the gas, I aimed mine at him again, and when he took a shot at me and missed, I pulled the trigger.

The loud 'boom' that tore through the forest sent Pidgeys flying off their branches in fear. After the smog cleared, I went to check on the pilot, and saw that he had took the shot to his chest. Still breathing, he said weakly, 'You might have prevailed over me, but Team Rocket shall never fall! They will be here, searching for me, and when they find you, you will then witness our true power!' After taking another rest, he cried out the Team Rocket slogan, before finally collapsing on the ground. Picking up his ID tag, I suddenly realized that I could not feel the sense of pride and achievement that I was told that I would have if I kill an enemy. Instead, I felt a sense of sorrow, as if something has just died in my heart. As I sat down deep in thought, I suddenly heard the sound of Sarah coughing. Bringing myself back to reality, I realized that she has been poisoned by the gas and is shivering and coughing. Tending to her, I fed her a few berries to alleviate the condition, and then turned to the dead pilot to check his gears. Taking off his blood-stained jacket and flying pants, I turned him over to check his bag. There, I found a first aid kit, some matches, a flashlight and a trenching shovel, among other standard equipment. Noticing that it is getting dark, I decided to carry Sarah back and see what I can do.

'Thanks, Allan.' I heard she saying as I mixed a few berries together. 'It's my responsibility.' I replied, handing over the mixture. Adding a few more branches to the crackling campfire, I suddenly realized that my injured arm no longer hurts. Taking off the bandage, I realized that it has been healed. Looking at Sarah, I said, 'Thanks to you too.' After taking a few deep breaths, I laid down in the tent as well.

The camp fire has slowly gone out, and soon the forest was silent once again. I still could not sleep, as thoughts about the dead pilot still haunt my mind. Suddenly, I heard voices in the forest, and jerked myself up. Could it be…? No, I said to myself, I must keep those thoughts of him away. However, after a while, I realized that those were instead real voices, and they seemed to be coming nearer. Lying down immediately, I waited quietly and soon the voices became audible. Identifying the Johto accent, I silently continued to overhear their conversation.

'I think he might be somewhere there, near the place with the smoke.' I could hear one of them saying as they came even closer. Not long after, a torchlight shone onto the tent, and another voice commented, 'Nah, it's just some random camper. Better don't intrude other people's privacy.'

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, I decided to follow them instead, and see what they are up to. Putting away my ID tag, I silently crept out of the tent, and walked slowly, using the trees as cover. Soon, I caught up with them, and saw the two Johto soldiers examining the corpse of the dead pilot. Crouching down behind some bushes, I continued observing them.

'Injury on right chest…Signs of gas poisoning…Multiple tears on uniform…ID tag missing.' One of them remarked while writing something down under the torchlight, while the other took pictures of him. After a while, the camera guy remarked, 'I thought he would be alive, then we could put him back there and make him shoot all those freaking Unovian planes down again.'

'Yeah, those air force people are useless pieces of crap. We have to depend on some criminal organization to defend us. What a shame.' The other, keeping his notebook, commented as they left the place. As they walked away, I could hear one of them talking into the radio, 'ID tags and gear missing, pistol shot in the chest, guerilla activities suspected…Carpet search tomorrow? Understood…'

As soon as they disappeared among the woods, I rushed back to the tent, and woke Sarah up. Starting to pack everything, I told her, 'Pack up, pal, we'll need to leave before they send in a search team to look for us. I don't want to be paraded in the streets and have rotten fruits and eggs thrown at me.'

After staring at me blankly for a while, she rushed to gather the stuff as well. Packing everything away within 10 minutes, I took out the compass and turn north. Having studied the geography of the region, I know that there will be mountains up north, where I can probably find a cave, which will be a much better place to hide. Looking at the clearing for one last time, I threw the ID tag of the rocket pilot on the ground before taking Sarah's hand and walking away in the darkness, never turning back again.

**This concludes chapter 3. Hope it was better than the previous chapter. No rotten fruits and eggs please. Stay tuned for the next chapter! :]**


	4. Chapter 4

**Missing In Action**

Chapter 4 The Chase

The rays of the sun shone through the trees into the forest, where Sarah and I have been traversing for the past few hours. Instinct tells me that the troops are already making their way into the forest, and we have managed a little head start. The morning fog still persists, hampering our visibility. Using a map and a compass, we continued walking northwards, hoping that we might somehow evade their grasp.

_(After a few hours)_

The distance bark of a Mightyena jerked me up from the rock. We have been walking for a very long time, exactly how long I do not know, but we are both exhausted and have decided to rest. Thinking that they are still far away, I decided to continue resting. However, before I knew it, I heard another bark, this time very close and very real. Jumping up from my position, I waked up Sarah and hurried to continue on. We quickened our pace despite the exhaustion, and I looked up to see the northern mountain range, barely visible but still gave me the determination to continue on. Just as I thought we've lost them, I could hear, all of a sudden, the sound of running water. Soon, we were confronted by a small river. I looked around for a bridge, but obviously there was none. The water is too deep to walk across, and the current is too strong for swimming. Just as I thought that all is lost, I felt something grabbing my hand and in a flash, I found myself on the other bank. I turned to see Sarah, who said, 'Don't forget about my power.'

'I owe you another one, but now we need to run!' I replied, grabbing her and started running again. It was obvious that the river had slowed the troops down; the barking of the Mightyena's have long subsided. The terrain soon became rather hilly, and after conquering a few hills I finally fell in exhaustion. Turning myself over, I asked Sarah, 'How do you not get tired?'

'I can choose not to be affected by gravity, so traveling is nothing for me. I do need to sleep though.' She replied, lying down on the grass as well.

'I guess the river gave us enough head start to have a little nap. We'll continue moving in 1 hours' time.' I replied, and she turned to sleep immediately. Setting an alarm on my watch, I made myself comfortable and soon fell into slumber as well.

'Beep! Beep!' The sound of the alarm woke me up, and I immediately turned it off, climbing up from the ground. Waking Sarah up as well, I grabbed a few berries from the bag and continued northwards. Behind me, the sleepy Kirlia asked,' How did you get all the stamina for this kind of things?'

'Well, I was in the air force, so obviously I've had training.' I replied, 'I took part in the Unova trans-continental bicycle tour a few times, and back there you have to cycle all day and all the sleep you get is 2 hours per day. More than that and you'll probably get disqualified at the next checkpoint, unless you ride really fast.'

'That's amazing!' She exclaimed.

'We got to hurry.' I replied, turning my face away to hide my blush. I have never been complimented by anyone for years, and there seemed to be this weird feeling inside me, being finally recognized for my actions. Just as I thought about these, I realized it was getting dark. Taking out the flashlight, I decided to continue on, hoping that the Johto soldiers will stop for the night and I will be able to distance myself further. The forest is becoming less dense as we proceeded northwards, and by midnight we reached an area of hilly grassland. Standing on top of a hill, I looked around with my binoculars, and saw the distant smoke from the campfires of the soldiers. Letting out a sigh, I looked the other way, to find the mountains, which seems so near, yet so far. Putting it down, I turned to see Sarah dozing off again. Giving her another berry, I was shocked to find that there are hardly any berries left in my bag. Putting that to the back of my mind, I charged down the hill, rustling the tall grass, scaring away the wild Pokémons along the way.

_12 Hours later_

It was yet another hot afternoon, made even worse by the fact that there are hills to climb and no tree to shield myself from the sun. Despite the countless hills that we have already climbed, the mountains still seems so far away. Finally, we descended down into a river valley with a small forest, where we took refuge from the heat.

'Can't you just teleport us into the mountains?' I complained to Sarah.

'I can only teleport to places I remember or can see,' she replied, 'I can't see those mountains clearly, so if I teleport us we will likely go into the rocks or find ourselves in mid-air. Now can I get some sleep please?'

'Fine, I'll wake you up when it's time.' I told her. Just as I was dozing off in the shade of the tree as well, I suddenly felt a weird sensation. Looking around, I could find nothing suspicious, but still felt as if something is approaching. Climbing up a tree, I looked around with my binoculars and was shocked to discover a formation of bicycles riding down the hills, straight into the valley. Descending as fast as I could, I woke up Sarah and told her, 'They're close! We need to hide!' And with that, I brought her into the bushes and laid down low. Having learnt basic camouflage back in the academy, I covered myself with leaves and branches and waited for them to come.

Soon enough, a group pushed their bicycles into the valley. I counted about twenty people, and saw them sitting in a circle in a clearing. A person, likely their officer, instructed them to build a bridge over the river and wait for the others to arrive, and soon they went to work, chopping down trees for the bridge. Good for me that they went to another part of the forest, but the sentry remained in the clearing.

After a while, it seemed that the sentry needs the washroom, because he wandered off and seems to be looking for a bush. After a few looks around, he suddenly turned to look at me, and I immediately averted my gaze. However, he obviously looked for another reason, because he came here and started to take off his belt. Without thinking twice, I took my shovel, sprung up, and gave him a knock on the head. Before he could even react, he fainted and popped down onto the ground. Grabbing his rifle, I took away as much useful stuff as I can find in his bag and rushed to the clearing, riding away on one of the bicycles. With Sarah's power, we teleported across the river. With the Kirlia sitting behind me, I mounted the bicycle, and charged up the hill with all my might. With the new piece of equipment, our progress significantly increased, and the mountains soon seemed a lot nearer. Riding up the last hill, I soon reached the top, only to see a steep mountainside in front of me. I looked around, searching for a way up, and to my surprise, found a small dirt road in a valley.

'Looks like luck is still on our side.' I commented while riding towards the opening.

'Good thing we never gave up.' Sarah said behind me. The wind blew against me as the bicycle picked up speed on the downhill ride. I thought about the possibility of a village at the end of the road, the possibility of posing as a civilian there and finally have peace. However, as it would soon turn out, one will probably never find peace in a time of war.

**Here concludes chapter 4. I believe I kept my promise of updating regularly. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter! :}**


	5. Chapter 5

**Missing in Action**

Chapter 5 The Battle of Mt. Advent

It has been about an hour since I started the ascend up the road, and it was indeed a tiring ride. However, my speculation was indeed correct, as after climbing another slope I saw a village in the distance. What's better is that through my binoculars, I could see that they are flying the flag of Unova. Charging up the final slope, I approached the sentry and asked him to take me to the commander. It was not long before I was brought into the town hall, a small mansion in the middle of the village.

'Good day, sir!' I greeted the officer sitting behind the table as I entered.

'Good day, have a sit.' He motioned me to the chair. Lighting up a cigarette, he asked, 'So what brings you here?'

'I was downed north of Lake of Rage, and traveled here after that.' I replied.

'Must have been a long trip.' He commented casually. Exhaling a puff of smoke, he continued, 'In case you are wondering what your fellow countrymen are doing in a place like this, I believe you have heard about Operation Mt. Advent?'

'Isn't that the operation near the end of the previous war to infiltrate Johto from the north?' I answered, remembering learning about it in military history class.

'Yes, it should have succeeded had it not been so late into the war. After Unova surrendered, we decided that we will fight till the end and took over this mountain village. However, it turned out that our operation was so secret that we were never discovered.' Taking another whiff, he continued, 'After that we led a normal life, until we heard on the radio that our fatherland had started yet another war. We received orders from higher command to build an airfield so that they can send in supplies and troops for an attack, and that is what we are doing right now.' He pointed to an uncompleted grass runway up a small bulge.

'If the plan succeeds, I am sure the whole of Johto will be brought to its knees. That will be yet another glorious victory for the fatherland.' I commented, 'and by the way, I was followed by a group of Johto soldiers, just thought you should know.'

'Yes…What? You were followed?' He abruptly put down his cigarette.

'Yes, they mistook me for guerillas.' I replied.

'About how many of them?' He inquired.

'I've seen around 20, but I think there are 50 or so.' I told him.

'Well that's not a lot, but never underestimate your enemy.' He stood up slowly, and started to issue commands to the officers around him, and soon I was assigned to a stable-like structure, where I was told to remain. I was soon greeted by a soldier, who was leading a group of Pokémon. Puzzled, I asked, 'What are they for?'

'For fighting against the enemy, of course!' He replied nonchalantly.

'But the Saffaron Convention prohibited the use of Pokémon as weapons!' I was surprised.

'Using Pokémon as weapons and using them to attack is different. Anyway, it is allowed, so stop ranting about it. Get up to that watchtower and tell your little pal there to pick on some enemies as well.' He shouted at me before marching on. Teleporting up with Sarah, I counted the number of soldiers as they gathered in the town square. The sun shone onto their faces and I could see people of all ages in their uniforms, standing at attention while the officer briefed them. Taking out my binoculars, I could see a group of bicycles pulling up at the bottom of the slope leading to the village.

'I think we are going to win this one.' I whispered to Sarah. The atmosphere was suddenly very tense, as more troops arrived at the slope and a diplomat from each side walked to meet in no man's land.

'How is that so?' The Kirlia replied, getting herself combat-ready as well.

'We've got around 40 men, and we are holding high ground. Besides, that guy probably have around 30 Pokémon with him.' I told her as an announcement was made through the loudspeakers, informing us that we 5 minutes before they start the attack. Taking out my pistol, I watched as people on both sides scrambled to their posts. Machine gun positions were filled, trenches were occupied, and mortars were set up. On the other side, there was so much movement that the dust practically covered everyone. Looking at my watch, I counted the last few seconds; 5…4…3…2…1…

There was absolute silence.

And then, it came. Mortar shells rained down on the front line as the Johtos started charging up the hill. As the barrage slowed I could see machine guns firing rapidly at the charging enemy. The braver ones who tried advancing were soon gunned down, and the other laid in prone, trying their best to dodge the bullets as they desperately fired back, crawling slowly up the slope. All of a sudden, fireballs fell from the sky, and around ten fire-types could be seen actively keeping up the barrage under the command of the trainer. I myself turned to see that Sarah is already focusing for an attack, and felt a sense of shame, being unable to render any assistance. Taking out my binoculars, I zoomed in for a better view of the action. What is saw was something I have never prepared for; there were dead bodies everywhere on the slope, and the blood trickled down the slope, forming a small river. Conditions were not that good on this side either, with a few unlucky individuals having their body parts strewn all across the battlefield after being blown apart by the mortar shells. Putting down the binoculars, I resisted the urge to vomit at the gruesome site. One thing that they do not teach you at pilot school is the horrors of the war.

Watching on, I could see the conscripted Johto troops being hopelessly pinned down by the machine gun fire from the bunkers and trenches. All of a sudden, there was a loud rumble, and rocks were sent rolling down the slope, crushing those unlucky enough to be in their way. Tracing the source, I could see a group of rock-types assembled on a cliff. After the rumbling subsided, a large wave of water came thrashing down, flushing what's left of the assault back to square one. The slope was turned into a muddy field, and all that was left from the battle was half-covered bodies and traces of blood.

As the gunfire subsided, the soldiers in the trenches rejoiced over the victory, while engineers who dug the trenches are now digging graves to bury the few unfortunate ones who perished. Climbing down the ladder, I went to help with the digging, trying not to watch as the medics handled the bloodier job. As the sun set, a ceasefire was announced so that both sides could dispose of the bodies and have a little rest.

'Look like there will be no more shooting until tomorrow morning.' I remarked to the trainer as he walked by with his troops.

'6am, to be precise. The sun wouldn't be up by then, but good thing we'll still get a good night's rest.' He said as he counted his squad. 'No casualties, good thing they had no snipers.'

'How long have you been a trainer?' I asked out of curiosity.

'We were dropped here 20 years ago. I was a trainer 10 years before that, so I would say I'm quite experienced.' He answered. After taking a sip of water from his canteen, he continued, 'Unfortunately, if you are thinking about staying with me at the stable shed, I'll tell you that there is no room. However, there is a house near the airfield. It serves as the quarters of the sentries but they will be sleeping out for tonight. You can take the guest room, they always keep it clean.'

'Sure, when will we be up tomorrow?' I asked as I prepared to move up to the airfield.

'4am sharp, the sentries will ring the alarm. That should wake the enemy up as well, with the natural echo provided by the mountains.' He answered as he prepared the food for his troops. Waving goodbye, I dragged myself up the bulge, still traumatized by the horrible scene that I have seen. Entering the house, I greeted the sentries, who are packing up for the sleepover. After having them agree to my stay, they left the house for the bunkers. As I walked up the stairs, I realized that I have not been staying in a proper place for quite a long time. Jumping into the bed in the guest room, I realized that for all my life, I have never had this much space to my own. Whether it was the orphanage or the military, I have always had to share a room with others, and this seemed something completely alien to me. Walking down the stairs, I took the ration the sentries left for me and had a quick dinner, and decided to call it a night as the sky was already dark.

As I relaxed after finally taking a hot water shower, news came from the radio that Unova have started civilian bombing and the first strike took place at Goldenrod. The whole of Hoenn has been officially captured and annexed by us, but guerillas and Team Magma fighters are still offering resistance in the mountains. Turning it off, I took a seat on the balcony and observed the airfield in the dark, thinking about the kinds of planes that will be able to take off and land here. As my thoughts wandered away, I heard someone approaching behind me, and turned swiftly to find out it is only Sarah.

'You scared me.' I commented as I sank back into my seat. This war has really been getting on my nerves.

'Sorry for that, it's…it's just that I could not sleep. I feel a bit weird, so I came to get some fresh air.' She replied apologetically.

'It's ok, I guess I need to calm myself down as well.' I replied. Taking a look at my watch, I decided it was time to go to bed. As I rose from my chair, there was suddenly an intense beam of light behind me. Turning around, I was almost blinded by the sudden brightness emitted from the place where Sarah would have been. Covering my eyes, I waited till the light have died down. As I slowly put my arm down, I discovered that in place of the Kirlia, there stands a Gardevoir in an elegant gown.

'Sarah, is that you?' I asked, still shocked and puzzled. Although she has told me about this before, I have never expected it to come so soon or in this fashion.

'Yes, Allan.' She answered, 'I think I have just evolved.'

'I hold the same opinion.' I said, recovering myself from the surprise. 'It's quite late now, and we'll need to be up early tomorrow. Why don't we go to sleep?'

'Good idea. I feel tired after all that too.' She replied, and we went back into the hut. There was only a shower, but at least there was hot water. I have not had any hot water shower since landing, and I guessed that Sarah probably never had any in her life. After getting ready for bed, Sarah suddenly said, 'I think I realized something.'

'Still thought you were a Kirlia?' I joked as I poured a glass of water for myself.

'You remember the group that I came from?' She continued with a serious expression.

'The one that detested humans?' I asked.

'Yes. Now, I think I have realized why they hated humans. They use us to fight against each other, try to limit our freedom, and abuse us to suit their own needs.' She answered with a slightly angry tone.

'You do realize that you are speaking to a human here?' I questioned her.

'Yes, but you are different.' She answered, a little confused.

'That is the point. Everyone is different. There are some of us who are violent, abusive and authoritarian, but there are also people who are the opposite. Besides, this is wartime, when the most cruel and sinister human behaviors are shown. What you have seen so far, from what I know, is far from the worst.' I continued on.

'I think you are one of the better ones.' She said.

'I did attack a few enemies and killed that pilot though.' I said, suddenly realizing what I have been doing.

'There is a war going on, if you did not do that you would have died. Besides, you still did save my life.' She consoled me.

'Not really, you saved my life. You could have done well even without me.' I said as I took down the water in one gulp and got ready for bed.

'You don't know what happens to psychic types left alone in the wild, do you?' She asked.

'Not really, no.' I answered.

'The dark types do nasty things to us when they find us in such a situation.' She told me as we walked towards the bedroom.

'Do they hunt you down and kill you?' I asked.

'Most of the time, yes. However, sometimes they do more than that.' She paused, stopping in front of the door before continuing, 'They rape us before killing us.'

'That's horrible!' I exclaimed.

'The very thought send shivers down my spine.' She said shakily. Escorting her to the bedroom, I comforted her,' do not worry, we are well protected and provided for here.'

'I guess so.' She said as we entered the guest room. It was modestly furnished in military style, and had two bunk beds on each side. Plopping ourselves into bed, I switched off the light and laid down, enjoying the comfort of indoor shelter. I fell asleep quickly, having been exhausted by the recent events. My journey might have well ended here, with me either returned back to Unova, or staying to see Johto fall in defeat. However, one of the most important lesson one should learn in life, is that one should always expect the unexpected.


End file.
